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FIRE IN THE EARTH
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of
inactivity before the invasion of Paris and subsequent air raids on
London gave the fashion world time to reorganize on a war basis. A
number of Paris houses opened in London and declared their intention of
going on. And Englishwomen, adapting themselves to the war conditions,
adjusted their fashions accordingly. An illuminating description of
wartime conditions in England with relation to fashion is contained in
a letter now in the possession of Miss Dignam. It was written by Mrs.
Allison Settle, former editor of British Vogue. It is no piece of
self-conscious writing, such as has poured out of London from the pens
of every person, it would seem, who could lift one. This is a business
letter, written at a time when bombs were falling. What was put down on
paper was intended only as information from one business woman to
another. It reads in part:
London
remains the centre of the diamond world, thanks to the stones being
produced within the borders of the Empire, and it is generally expected
that, as war conditions become a matter of course, the wearing of a
certain amount of jewellery will come back. It has always been the
habit of Englishwomen to keep the tradition of precious jewellery
alive, though they have been behind other countries in having their
stones reset. Because stones are so much worn in connection with set
ceremonials, it has not seemed to them necessary to keep the stones in
fashion.
There
will be no Courts throughout the war, but there will always be visits
of royal personages to country homes, as Queen Mary is now visiting
from house to house in the west country, and on such occasions jewels
are worn quite naturally and simply. It is as natural for the
Englishwoman to put on jewels when she puts, on evening dress as it is
for her to be well coiffed, or to change into the appropriate shoes.
At
present there is hardly any evening dress worn. Women are in many cases
in uniform with a regulation that it is continuously worn. For that
reason, you see girls dancing in the London restaurants wearing their
uniforms of the St. John's Ambulance Corps,
(188)
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